Polk grad living his dream as music blogger in NY

Published: Thursday, July 11, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at 6:04 p.m.

Drew Millard takes life one step at a time. The 24-year-old isn't always sure of what's next, but his sharp wit and intelligence have taken him far in life.

So far, in fact, that the former Polk County High student is living the life he's always dreamed of in Brooklyn, N.Y. Millard is the editor of an edgy music blog called “Noisey” and has interviewed well-known artists across many genres.

As a high school student, Millard showed flashes of skills with a blog called “The Modern Age of Drew Millard.” The blog captured the attention of his classmates and was even picked up by a local newspaper.

After graduating from Polk, Millard enrolled at UNC Chapel Hill. Four years later, he graduated with a degree in Communications, but wasn't sure what he was going to do with it. He didn't want a career in advertising.

A survey of his interests came back to one of his biggest loves — music.

A popular topic of his high school and college blogs was music, specifically the rap group Wu Tang Clan. In college, Millard was a disc jockey at the Chapel Hill radio station, WXYC.

“I gained an appreciation of the spectrum of popular music,” Millard said of his time at 89.3 FM.

Once he zeroed in on his love for music and a desire to possibly make a career out of it, Millard enrolled at the Publishing Institute in New York. The summer program is run by New York University and is a crash course on book, magazine and digital publishing.

The transition from Chapel Hill to New York wasn't an easy one.

“It's not an easy place to live,” Millard said. “You just have to figure things out for yourself. It's like jumping into the deep end of the pool and sort of knowing how to swim.”

Millard had some money saved and was able to adjust. He began freelancing and, after a “few lucky breaks,” found himself interning at VICE, which handles the “Noisey” blog. By the spring of 2012, Millard was working full-time as the blog's editor.

In the last year, he has landed interviews with artists such as Fayetteville rapper J. Cole, country superstar Dwight Yoakam and R&B singer and producer The-Dream.

His interviews sometimes come to fruition in weird ways. He interviewed The-Dream in the backseat of the star's car. He talked to Yoakam over the phone from Los Angeles. His favorite interview, however, came on the sidewalk in front of his office.

Rapper Mac Miller came to the “Noisey” office and the pair walked down to the street for an interview. The young rapper opened up about lessons learned, drug abuse and growing up within his rap persona.

“I think I'm most proud of that one because people read it and gained a different perspective for Mac Miller,” Millard said.

It's just a way of life for Millard nowadays. He wakes up in his Brooklyn home and makes the a 35-minute trek to work, listening to new music as he walks. Once in his office, he checks emails and updates blogs. He writes, edits, interviews and writes reactions to music and breaking news. He visits clubs and concerts, but it's not just for fun. It's education.

“A lot of my job is being aware of what's happening and offering my perspective on things,” Millard said. “I try to stay in touch with what's going on in hip-hop and popular music.”

The evolution from small-town kid to big-city blogger has been “natural,” Millard said, and it hasn't changed him. He's just an older form of the kid writing humorous blogs for his classmates' benefit.

“I'm definitely very grateful for everything that's happened,” he said. “I really have my dream job, which is really strange to say at age 24.”

<p>Drew Millard takes life one step at a time. The 24-year-old isn't always sure of what's next, but his sharp wit and intelligence have taken him far in life. </p><p>So far, in fact, that the former Polk County High student is living the life he's always dreamed of in Brooklyn, N.Y. Millard is the editor of an edgy music blog called “Noisey” and has interviewed well-known artists across many genres.</p><p>As a high school student, Millard showed flashes of skills with a blog called “The Modern Age of Drew Millard.” The blog captured the attention of his classmates and was even picked up by a local newspaper. </p><p>After graduating from Polk, Millard enrolled at UNC Chapel Hill. Four years later, he graduated with a degree in Communications, but wasn't sure what he was going to do with it. He didn't want a career in advertising. </p><p>A survey of his interests came back to one of his biggest loves — music.</p><p>A popular topic of his high school and college blogs was music, specifically the rap group Wu Tang Clan. In college, Millard was a disc jockey at the Chapel Hill radio station, WXYC. </p><p>“I gained an appreciation of the spectrum of popular music,” Millard said of his time at 89.3 FM. </p><p>Once he zeroed in on his love for music and a desire to possibly make a career out of it, Millard enrolled at the Publishing Institute in New York. The summer program is run by New York University and is a crash course on book, magazine and digital publishing. </p><p>The transition from Chapel Hill to New York wasn't an easy one. </p><p>“It's not an easy place to live,” Millard said. “You just have to figure things out for yourself. It's like jumping into the deep end of the pool and sort of knowing how to swim.”</p><p>Millard had some money saved and was able to adjust. He began freelancing and, after a “few lucky breaks,” found himself interning at VICE, which handles the “Noisey” blog. By the spring of 2012, Millard was working full-time as the blog's editor. </p><p>In the last year, he has landed interviews with artists such as Fayetteville rapper J. Cole, country superstar Dwight Yoakam and R&B singer and producer The-Dream. </p><p>His interviews sometimes come to fruition in weird ways. He interviewed The-Dream in the backseat of the star's car. He talked to Yoakam over the phone from Los Angeles. His favorite interview, however, came on the sidewalk in front of his office.</p><p>Rapper Mac Miller came to the “Noisey” office and the pair walked down to the street for an interview. The young rapper opened up about lessons learned, drug abuse and growing up within his rap persona. </p><p>“I think I'm most proud of that one because people read it and gained a different perspective for Mac Miller,” Millard said. </p><p>It's just a way of life for Millard nowadays. He wakes up in his Brooklyn home and makes the a 35-minute trek to work, listening to new music as he walks. Once in his office, he checks emails and updates blogs. He writes, edits, interviews and writes reactions to music and breaking news. He visits clubs and concerts, but it's not just for fun. It's education.</p><p>“A lot of my job is being aware of what's happening and offering my perspective on things,” Millard said. “I try to stay in touch with what's going on in hip-hop and popular music.”</p><p>The evolution from small-town kid to big-city blogger has been “natural,” Millard said, and it hasn't changed him. He's just an older form of the kid writing humorous blogs for his classmates' benefit. </p><p>“I'm definitely very grateful for everything that's happened,” he said. “I really have my dream job, which is really strange to say at age 24.” </p><p>Reach Millwood at 828-694-7881 or at joey.millwood@blueridgenow.com.</p>